It's not exactly mid-year as we're already past the seventh month. I forgot to do this last June so you know, better late than never.
Last year, I wrote down several things that I need to work on for 2008. And like I said, I just want to check up on the status and see where I am at this point.
... I need to learn how to save money...
I've managed to maintain a savings account, albeit a small one. At least that's a start. And I have a jar full of PHP5 coins. That should count for something. Besides, all I said was that I just need to learn, not actually save.
... have an out-of-town or out-of-country getaway at least once a year...
I've been to Palawan last January. I've been to the US last May. For this quarter, I was hoping that we'll push through with our Singapore trip. But that's highly unlikely for now. Anyway, I might postpone all my trips this year as I'm planning to go back to the States early next year. Just so I can frolic in the snow.
... work on organizing my stuff at home...
What stuff? Haven't touched anything, and all my junk from the US trip is still all over.
... I won't eat anything salty. Or sweet. And I won't eat lunch too...
I've only eaten three bags of Tortillos this year. And I've greatly lessened my soda intake. There. Lunch, unfortunately, is still taken. It's dinner that I've said goodbye to.
... enroll myself in a gym...
I did. La la la.
... try to avoid staying up way, way late...
I'm so deep in my sleep by 9 PM that I'm already dreaming of blogs, and bloggers by then. But for some weird reason, a couple of days ago I dreamt of James McAvoy.
... learn how to drive...
Still not happening. I really can't see myself as the person behind the wheel. I'd rather be the one riding shotgun.
... try not to use my iPod when I go to work in the morning...
Not going to happen!
... lesser online time...
Yeah, right.
... play badminton with Gracie...
I have to think about this. I've never been a big fan of Badminton, so there.
... get rid of my insecurities...
It's hard to do this but at least I can say that I love me some me.
... try to get back to what I used to enjoy doing pre-July 2007...
Don't bother asking what happened then. What's important is that I'm back on track - I'm spending time with my friends and all that stuff. Except that I'm a lot behind with my comic book subscription, and a lot of DVDs has yet to be watched as well.
... be an optimist...
Yep, I'm just a pocketful of sunshine. LOL.
... stop wearing my heart out on my sleeve...
Well, I'm wearing sleeves that extend out to my fingertips this time. Plus mittens. LOL. Seriously, I think I've had enough of those things in the meantime. Recent experiences have shown me how I can be a danger to myself when I'm in love. Hopefully, I've learned.I've had enough of being blue. But I can't change who I am. And I don't think that the heart-on-sleeve thing is necessarily bad.
Judging from my assessment, I think I'm pretty much doing good on my list but there are indeed areas that I need to really work on. Read: DIET and GYM. I swear I'll go back and have my account reactivated this weekend. And yep, no more eating. LOL.
Anyway, it's way, way late but I have a good excuse - the traffic along Ayala Avenue was hellish so I got home late, therefore I didn't go online till about eleven. I think.
I know the past few posts are just fillers but bear with me. I haven't been myself these past few days as well and I'm just too distracted to blog. Blame it on Plurk. And Yahoo Messenger.
And my Outlook as well.
*******
I have to give credit to my friend Jennifer as her latest entry in her blog gave me the idea of doing this entry, my last one for July. Thanks!
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
faith is purest when it is unquestioning
LonelyBoy: I wont' be asking anymore questions. I'm just going to believe that everything's going to be alright.
- Greenbelt Church
Overheard by: Himself
oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
I really have nothing to write about. Well, I do, but I feel like I'll be doing injustice to whatever topic I'll be working on should I try to come up with something of "value" today.
Today started out badly. Like how my Monday was. It's something I deeply believe in - my general mood for the week lies on how I wake up Monday morning. I know it's pretty stupid but whatever. So going back, yeah, I had a rough Monday. I'm still a bit sick. A lot, actually. And I have tons to worry about.
And being idle is not exactly helpful. All I've been doing these past two days revolves around Plurk and Wikipedia. I'm almost envious of the window cleaners out the building. They're now working on the glasses my side of the floor. At least they get to do something worthwhile. And it is quite exciting to watch them, and imagine how it would be like if something bad happened. Not that I was hoping there'd be one. I'm not that bad. And that is awfully morbid. And gross.
So going back to today. Today I had lunch with j.Trio, a dear old friend. She misses my company, and I miss my previous company. Feeling's pretty mutual. I'm actually thinking of going back, albeit in a different unit. I think I'll have a brighter future there. But nah, bad bad memories.
I've had enough of being miserable. I've been like that lately - gloomy, like I have a storm cloud that follows me all around. Yep, I'm miserable. And worse, alone. It sucks right. Good thing that somebody brought me happy this afternoon. Happy's nice for a change, thank you! Now I can't stop smiling. =))
I hope it's enough to change my luck this week. I didn't say that the Monday Mood thing is unbreakable.
*******
POSTSCRIPT. I just want to have a reason to post a screen cap of my Plurk page. LOL. Add me up if you have one!
Today started out badly. Like how my Monday was. It's something I deeply believe in - my general mood for the week lies on how I wake up Monday morning. I know it's pretty stupid but whatever. So going back, yeah, I had a rough Monday. I'm still a bit sick. A lot, actually. And I have tons to worry about.
And being idle is not exactly helpful. All I've been doing these past two days revolves around Plurk and Wikipedia. I'm almost envious of the window cleaners out the building. They're now working on the glasses my side of the floor. At least they get to do something worthwhile. And it is quite exciting to watch them, and imagine how it would be like if something bad happened. Not that I was hoping there'd be one. I'm not that bad. And that is awfully morbid. And gross.
So going back to today. Today I had lunch with j.Trio, a dear old friend. She misses my company, and I miss my previous company. Feeling's pretty mutual. I'm actually thinking of going back, albeit in a different unit. I think I'll have a brighter future there. But nah, bad bad memories.
I've had enough of being miserable. I've been like that lately - gloomy, like I have a storm cloud that follows me all around. Yep, I'm miserable. And worse, alone. It sucks right. Good thing that somebody brought me happy this afternoon. Happy's nice for a change, thank you! Now I can't stop smiling. =))
I hope it's enough to change my luck this week. I didn't say that the Monday Mood thing is unbreakable.
*******
POSTSCRIPT. I just want to have a reason to post a screen cap of my Plurk page. LOL. Add me up if you have one!
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
x-men: sfx, pt. I
Codename: CYCLOPSReal Name: Scott Summers
Mutant Abilities: Optic energy beam
Recently stood up against Xavier and took the mantle of being the undisputed leader of the X-Men, hence making him the leader of the entire mutant populace as well. After the events surrounding the birth of a new mutant baby, he disbanded the team only to reform it months after, settling on a new base in San Francisco, California.
Codename: EMMA FROSTReal Name: Emma Frost
Mutant Abilities: Telepathy; Indestructible diamond form
Serving as the headmistress of the Institute prior to its destruction, Emma Frost also acts as second-in-command to Cyclops. Frost has long reformed from her shady past as the White Queen of the infamous Hellfire Club, and taking on a more prominent role as one of the X-Men. With the death of Jean Grey, she currently ranks among the likes of Xavier and Exodus as the world's premier telepaths.
Codename: WOLVERINEReal Name: James Howlett
Mutant Abilities: Regenerative healing factor; Superhuman senses, strength, stamina, agility and reflexes; Adamantium-laced skeletal structure with retractable claws
While serving as an active member of both the New Avengers and the X-Men core team, Wolverine also heads the black-ops team X-Force as commanded by Cyclops. And because of the recent events concerning the baby, Cyclops also ordered him to track down the former X-Man Mystique, and kill her.
Codename: BEASTReal Name: Dr. Henry Philip "Hank" McCoy
Mutant Abilities: Animal-life physiology; Superhuman strength, speed, stamina, agility, flexibility, reflexes, coordination, balance, endurance; Genius-level intelligence; Accelerated healing factor; Pheromone manipulation; Razor sharp claws and teeth
One-fifth of the original X-Men, the Beast recently took it to himself to find a way to reverse M-Day which turned out to be unsuccessful. He signed up for the Superhero Registration Act together with Danielle Moonstar to train future heroes. However, after the mansion's destruction, he came back to destroy what was left of his laboratory except for the brain of Martha Johansson which he took with him to California.
Codename: ANGELReal Name: Warren Kenneth Worthington III
Mutant Abilities: Metal like wings which allow great flight speed and can project metal-like razor sharp feathers; Healing factor; Enhanced strength; Aerial adoption; Peak physical attributes
As the mind-controlled Wolfsbane savagely rips off Angel's wings, the latter found himself succumbing to a painful transformation, reverting him back to the creature that Apocalypse created - the Archangel. He attacks the entire X-Force team pleading for them to relieve him of the pain. But before Wolverine could kill him, Archangel escaped and vowed to take revenge on the Purifiers. Recently bought the Marin Headlands in San Francisco to house the new base of the X-Men.
Codename: STORMReal Name: Ororo Ikadi T'Challa nee Munroe
Mutant Abilities: Weather manipulation; Flight; Energy perception; Ecological empathy; Resistance to the effects of the weather and extreme heat and cold; Latent natural magical abilities
After temporarily taking over Sue and Reed Richards' place in the Fantastic Four with her husband, the Black Panther, and following the events during the Messiah CompleX wherein she lead the strike force team against the Marauders and Acolytes, Storm went to the X-Center and requested from Cyclops that she be enlisted as an active member of the X-Men once more.
Codename: NIGHTCRAWLERReal Name: Kurt Wagner
Mutant Abilities: Teleportation; Enhanced night vision; Superhuman acrobat/gymnast; Prehensile tail; Ability to stick to walls; Blending into shadows
He was among the X-Men who came back after the defeat of the resistance against Vulcan, the third Summers brother, and the Shi'Ar. He then joined Xavier's search for Magneto but his service was called upon when the X-Men was engaged to battle the likes of the Marauders, Acolytes and the Purifiers for the fate of the mutant child. But during one of the strike force team's mission, he was severely wounded by Scalphunter incapacitating him from further battles.
Codename: COLOSSUSReal Name: Piotr "Peter" Nikolaievitch Rasputin
Mutant Abilities: Ability to transform his body into "organic steel" granting him superhuman strength, stamina, and durability
Long believed to be dead as he sacrificed his life to cure the dreaded Legacy Virus, but he was found by Shadowcat to be very much alive in the depths of Ord's lair in one of the X-Men's missions. Colossus was brought back to life by the alien unknowingly that Colossus is the mutant destined to destroy his home planet, the Breakworld. However, it turned out that Colossus was only destined to break the rule of the tyrannical Powerlord Kruun. But in the war that they have waged, it was Shadowcat, who paid the price. Recently, mourning for the apparent loss of his lover, Colossus visited his mother country together with Nightcrawler and Wolverine, only to be captured by the Russian government. This however ended up with the trio battling and defeating Omega Red.
Codename: CANNONBALLReal Name: Samuel "Sam" Zachary Guthrie
Mutant Abilities: Flight; Ability to release thermochemical energy; While in flight: superhuman physical resistance and impossible to stop
Cannonball was one of the two surviving members of Rogue's team prior to Messiah CompleX. However, when tasked by Emma Frost to recover Destiny's Diaries, he faced Mr. Sinister whom attempted to telepathically erase Guthrie's mind to serve as a warning to everyone who stands in his way. It has yet to be seen if this has any lasting effect on him as he was seen taking down Magneto in San Francisco.
Monday, July 28, 2008
uncanny x-men #500: sfx
For as long as they've existed, the X-Men have protected a world that hates and fears them. Now with mutantkind reduced to a few hundred, they've fled their former school and rededicated themselves to the survival of their species at all costs.
- Uncanny X-Men #500
*******
The aftermath of the Messiah CompleX left the world without the X-Men with Cyclops deciding to disband the group right after the traitorous Bishop missed his original target (Cable and the baby) and accidentally shot Xavier in the head.
However, unknown to the rest of the X-Men, Cyclops commanded Wolverine to reform the black-ops team, X-Force (Warpath, Wolfsbane and X-23). Their task is to do what the X-Men can never do - kill.
Not long after, Cyclops and Emma Frost came rushing to San Francisco after receiving a call from Angel. Martinique Wygarde, the daughter of the first Mastermind, has transformed the city into how it was back in the 60s. Fortunately, Frost manages to defeat her and shatter the illusion the confused mutant had created. Amidst the commotion, it turned out that Angel managed to rescue the mayor of San Francisco from being hit by a truck. The winged mutant brought the politician to Cyclops and Emma Frost, and this meet up led to the announcement that the X-Men will be leaving the Institute in Salem Center and relocating to the West Coast. Nested at the Marin Headlands, the X-Center will serve as a community center, or embassy for mutantkind.
With Cyclops farcasting his message to the entire mutant populace worldwide via Frost's telepathy - the X-Men is very much alive and that the new center is open to friend and foe alike as their species' security and protection is of paramount importance as of the moment.
But of course this new era for this band of merry mutants won't be complete without the return of their fiercest enemy, Magneto. Borrowing powers from a suit created by the High Evolutionary, he controlled two Mark I Sentinels and had them attack the X-Men who were present at the gala opening of an art gallery downtown. After being taken down by Cannonball, he questioned Cyclops' authority to stand up as mutantkind's vanguard and threatened them to stay out of his way. But before Cyclops could retaliate, the Master of Magnetism teleported out of the scene.
*******
It wasn't exactly the anniversary issue I was looking forward to but much like any prelude, UXM #500 laid out the concrete foundation for the subsequent issues. I'm very much exited to know who heeds Cyclops' call, and I'm equally excited as to who will be the new X-Men. From the cover, there are at least thirty mutants present, and a percentage of which are actually B- and C-listers (meaning they've been in the sidelines for the longest time). And the fight scene between Magneto and the X-Men - classic! The only thing missing was Jean Grey, but then again that's what Emma Frost is for. I'll never get over the fact that she's a husband-stealer, but I have to give her props for being one of the coolest characters I've seen. Anyone who can tell Storm to shut up is praise-worthy.
Going back, the move to the west is also strategically wise considering that a) the mansion/institute has once again, been totally devasted and b) Iron Man is actually eyeing on them to sign up for the Superhuman Registration Act and Cyclops' previous statement to Stark that the X-Men are no longer active is just a fake rouse to get away from them (I believe San Francisco was one of the cities that didn't support that law).
All in all, I'm not much excited about the arcs and stories. I'm still not too keen on Brubacker having the pen on all of this, even if he's assigned to work with another writer this time. I'm just anxious to see how the new team will be moving forward.
- Uncanny X-Men #500
*******
The aftermath of the Messiah CompleX left the world without the X-Men with Cyclops deciding to disband the group right after the traitorous Bishop missed his original target (Cable and the baby) and accidentally shot Xavier in the head.
However, unknown to the rest of the X-Men, Cyclops commanded Wolverine to reform the black-ops team, X-Force (Warpath, Wolfsbane and X-23). Their task is to do what the X-Men can never do - kill.
Not long after, Cyclops and Emma Frost came rushing to San Francisco after receiving a call from Angel. Martinique Wygarde, the daughter of the first Mastermind, has transformed the city into how it was back in the 60s. Fortunately, Frost manages to defeat her and shatter the illusion the confused mutant had created. Amidst the commotion, it turned out that Angel managed to rescue the mayor of San Francisco from being hit by a truck. The winged mutant brought the politician to Cyclops and Emma Frost, and this meet up led to the announcement that the X-Men will be leaving the Institute in Salem Center and relocating to the West Coast. Nested at the Marin Headlands, the X-Center will serve as a community center, or embassy for mutantkind.
With Cyclops farcasting his message to the entire mutant populace worldwide via Frost's telepathy - the X-Men is very much alive and that the new center is open to friend and foe alike as their species' security and protection is of paramount importance as of the moment.
But of course this new era for this band of merry mutants won't be complete without the return of their fiercest enemy, Magneto. Borrowing powers from a suit created by the High Evolutionary, he controlled two Mark I Sentinels and had them attack the X-Men who were present at the gala opening of an art gallery downtown. After being taken down by Cannonball, he questioned Cyclops' authority to stand up as mutantkind's vanguard and threatened them to stay out of his way. But before Cyclops could retaliate, the Master of Magnetism teleported out of the scene.
*******
It wasn't exactly the anniversary issue I was looking forward to but much like any prelude, UXM #500 laid out the concrete foundation for the subsequent issues. I'm very much exited to know who heeds Cyclops' call, and I'm equally excited as to who will be the new X-Men. From the cover, there are at least thirty mutants present, and a percentage of which are actually B- and C-listers (meaning they've been in the sidelines for the longest time). And the fight scene between Magneto and the X-Men - classic! The only thing missing was Jean Grey, but then again that's what Emma Frost is for. I'll never get over the fact that she's a husband-stealer, but I have to give her props for being one of the coolest characters I've seen. Anyone who can tell Storm to shut up is praise-worthy.
Going back, the move to the west is also strategically wise considering that a) the mansion/institute has once again, been totally devasted and b) Iron Man is actually eyeing on them to sign up for the Superhuman Registration Act and Cyclops' previous statement to Stark that the X-Men are no longer active is just a fake rouse to get away from them (I believe San Francisco was one of the cities that didn't support that law).
All in all, I'm not much excited about the arcs and stories. I'm still not too keen on Brubacker having the pen on all of this, even if he's assigned to work with another writer this time. I'm just anxious to see how the new team will be moving forward.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
i think i'll dream of mario tonight
July has never been a busy month. Not for me anyway. So I'm a bit relieved that it's almost over. Well, relieved and scared actually. But let me dwell on the latter some other day.
I couldn't count the number of times in a day I've thought of how long and painfully dragging this month has been. So many things have happened in the past 27 days. Most of which are life-altering, not necessarily bad, but it taught me a thing or two. Might come in handy next time around.
Thinking. I've been doing a lot of it lately, mostly on my free time - Mondays thru Fridays, 8 to 5. Not about work stuff though. Two nights ago I realized that I've become a professional blogger. Ooo wee! I'm being paid to blog. Of course my benefactor (read: employer) doesn't know that yet. But hey, it's not my fault.
Though I'm not one to complain, I do feel guilty. Even if blogging serves me good - it has become my avenue for a lot of things. I've never been more free. And I've never felt more special. It's something that I look forward to every day. It enabled me to strengthen old ties and create new, and hopefully, lasting ones.
And I do feel like I'm a loser for spending this much time online. But at least I'm being productive. Somehow. I do have a life offline, it's just that I choose to immortalize it. Hence, the blog. Who knows? Maybe in 2108 this will count for something. You know how some people think that they're meant for greater things? Well, I'm one of those people. Don't wince. I'm king here. I get to say to what I want.
And speaking of greater things, I miss New York badly. Whenever I watch Manhattan-based TV shows or look at my photo collection, I'm reminded of how much I want to be there. I know I'm meant to be there - with a high-paying job, and a two-bedroom apartment somewhere along 59th to 96th street.
But right now, I think I'm meant to be in my bed.
*******
POSTSCRIPT. I really hate cough syrups. They make me cough more. And worse, they make me sleepy.
I couldn't count the number of times in a day I've thought of how long and painfully dragging this month has been. So many things have happened in the past 27 days. Most of which are life-altering, not necessarily bad, but it taught me a thing or two. Might come in handy next time around.
Thinking. I've been doing a lot of it lately, mostly on my free time - Mondays thru Fridays, 8 to 5. Not about work stuff though. Two nights ago I realized that I've become a professional blogger. Ooo wee! I'm being paid to blog. Of course my benefactor (read: employer) doesn't know that yet. But hey, it's not my fault.
Though I'm not one to complain, I do feel guilty. Even if blogging serves me good - it has become my avenue for a lot of things. I've never been more free. And I've never felt more special. It's something that I look forward to every day. It enabled me to strengthen old ties and create new, and hopefully, lasting ones.
And I do feel like I'm a loser for spending this much time online. But at least I'm being productive. Somehow. I do have a life offline, it's just that I choose to immortalize it. Hence, the blog. Who knows? Maybe in 2108 this will count for something. You know how some people think that they're meant for greater things? Well, I'm one of those people. Don't wince. I'm king here. I get to say to what I want.
And speaking of greater things, I miss New York badly. Whenever I watch Manhattan-based TV shows or look at my photo collection, I'm reminded of how much I want to be there. I know I'm meant to be there - with a high-paying job, and a two-bedroom apartment somewhere along 59th to 96th street.
But right now, I think I'm meant to be in my bed.
*******
POSTSCRIPT. I really hate cough syrups. They make me cough more. And worse, they make me sleepy.
geekgasm: outtakes, pt. II
Wings in the Water
Here fishy, fishy. (Kadiri ang glass, andumi. LOL.)
Eel yan. Wala akong ma-isip. LOL.
Unahan pa sila, oh.
Yung isa sa ilalim dumaan. LOL.
May hayop diyan. Hanap hanap.
Uy birdie!
geekgasm: outtakes, pt. I
The Hall of the Dinosaurs
Triceratops! (Power Rangers yan. LOL.)
Pagtapos mag-serve sa Dolphin Show, eto na sila.
Aw. Poor Bambi.
Ang tongue ba ng giraffe kasing haba ng neck niya?
Watch out... for the glass!
Hair: Quite (?) Hairy. LOL.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
geekgasm: national aquarium
The original plan was to be at Baltimore by nine in the morning. But that plan went kaput when my designated driver for the day decided not to follow the GPS. Idiot. We spent about two hours driving around the interstate just because he refused to turn right when I said right. We ended up in Laurel, which is not really far from our destination, but being a natural that he is, he once again insisted on following his own direction as opposed to what the young man in the cafe told us. Thank goodness for the air-conditioning and my iPod for keeping me calm.
We reached Baltimore at around thirty past eleven, and the ticket line to the National Aquarium ran from here to eternity. But I waited. Patience pays. Unfortunately the ticket guy doesn't accept virtues. I had to shell out USD25 for the entrance plus the dolphin show. Oddly, we can only be admitted at 3:45 PM, and the dolphin show won't be until 5 PM.
"Late na yung dolphin show, punta pa ba tayo," driver asked.
"Ako pupunta. Nakabili na ako ng ticket. Ewan ko ikaw," I said as I scurried out of the booth and did some shots, of myself.
We still had a lot of time so we walked along the pier, had lunch and window-shopped. Stories that I will have to reserve for some other time as this should be about my fascination about all things science.
By three quarter we're already allowed to get in the facility and directed towards the first escalator. Upon reaching the second floor, cool green lights shower several glass columns filled with rushing, bubbly water. This effectively sets the mood for the entire visit. And a few steps after is a vast pool wherein big sharks, big hard-scaled fishes and big manta rays are freely swimming seemingly indifferent to one another. And I'm not exaggerating when I say that these creatures are big enough to ride onto.
Subsequent sections of the aquarium feature the main bodies of water in the world together with its respective inhabitants - on the Atlantic are the more common fishes and puffins (the aquarium's mascot), rivers in the tropics contain much smaller yet colorful fishes, and the really enormous and creepy looking fishes can be found in the Amazon basin. Moreover, reptiles and other amphibians are also thrown in to complete the ecosystem. Stranger creatures like the giant octopus and the chambered nautilus are also put on display in the darker part of the gallery. On top of the structure is a garden that acts as an aviary which houses birds, of course, and a few monkeys.
On the way back to the main gallery, the downward spiral gives a closer look to the life in the Atlantic Coral Reef, then to the sharks and then finally to the Wings in the Water display which is actually the bottom part of the pool one will see by the entrance.
It took us (me) quite some time to move from one exhibit to another as I was engrossed in looking at all the fishes. Of course this annoyed designated driver once again as he was in a hurry to get back home. We reached the dolphinarium ten minutes past five. Thankfully, the show has not yet. The place was already full so we settled for the available seats in the far right side. Designated driver seemed to have enjoyed the show as he was cheering, and wildly shrieking whenever the dolphins pulled a stunt. While I was sulking - a child in the front row was chosen to play with the dolphin while I'm stuck here, with Ursula.
On the way to the parking lot I asked designated driver if he's feeling alright. The effect of the dolphins seems to have faded as he was pouting, which doesn't make him any cuter. Not that he's cute to begin with.
"Yaan mo, kapag me nag-wang-wang sa atin sa highway ayun na yun," I said, giggling (hihihi?) as I strapped on my seatbelt. Earlier, designated driver, still dazed from his road misadventure, beat the red light in one of the main avenues in Baltimore. And he's been scared frantic on the idea of being reprimanded by the local police, thinking that it would mean bye bye to his visa. LOL.
He sighed as he started the car's engines. And as we headed out of the lot, he asked if we were to go left or right. I sighed thinking that this is going to be a long ride home.
Karma sucks sometimes.
We reached Baltimore at around thirty past eleven, and the ticket line to the National Aquarium ran from here to eternity. But I waited. Patience pays. Unfortunately the ticket guy doesn't accept virtues. I had to shell out USD25 for the entrance plus the dolphin show. Oddly, we can only be admitted at 3:45 PM, and the dolphin show won't be until 5 PM.
"Late na yung dolphin show, punta pa ba tayo," driver asked.
"Ako pupunta. Nakabili na ako ng ticket. Ewan ko ikaw," I said as I scurried out of the booth and did some shots, of myself.
We still had a lot of time so we walked along the pier, had lunch and window-shopped. Stories that I will have to reserve for some other time as this should be about my fascination about all things science.
By three quarter we're already allowed to get in the facility and directed towards the first escalator. Upon reaching the second floor, cool green lights shower several glass columns filled with rushing, bubbly water. This effectively sets the mood for the entire visit. And a few steps after is a vast pool wherein big sharks, big hard-scaled fishes and big manta rays are freely swimming seemingly indifferent to one another. And I'm not exaggerating when I say that these creatures are big enough to ride onto.
Subsequent sections of the aquarium feature the main bodies of water in the world together with its respective inhabitants - on the Atlantic are the more common fishes and puffins (the aquarium's mascot), rivers in the tropics contain much smaller yet colorful fishes, and the really enormous and creepy looking fishes can be found in the Amazon basin. Moreover, reptiles and other amphibians are also thrown in to complete the ecosystem. Stranger creatures like the giant octopus and the chambered nautilus are also put on display in the darker part of the gallery. On top of the structure is a garden that acts as an aviary which houses birds, of course, and a few monkeys.
On the way back to the main gallery, the downward spiral gives a closer look to the life in the Atlantic Coral Reef, then to the sharks and then finally to the Wings in the Water display which is actually the bottom part of the pool one will see by the entrance.
It took us (me) quite some time to move from one exhibit to another as I was engrossed in looking at all the fishes. Of course this annoyed designated driver once again as he was in a hurry to get back home. We reached the dolphinarium ten minutes past five. Thankfully, the show has not yet. The place was already full so we settled for the available seats in the far right side. Designated driver seemed to have enjoyed the show as he was cheering, and wildly shrieking whenever the dolphins pulled a stunt. While I was sulking - a child in the front row was chosen to play with the dolphin while I'm stuck here, with Ursula.
On the way to the parking lot I asked designated driver if he's feeling alright. The effect of the dolphins seems to have faded as he was pouting, which doesn't make him any cuter. Not that he's cute to begin with.
"Yaan mo, kapag me nag-wang-wang sa atin sa highway ayun na yun," I said, giggling (hihihi?) as I strapped on my seatbelt. Earlier, designated driver, still dazed from his road misadventure, beat the red light in one of the main avenues in Baltimore. And he's been scared frantic on the idea of being reprimanded by the local police, thinking that it would mean bye bye to his visa. LOL.
He sighed as he started the car's engines. And as we headed out of the lot, he asked if we were to go left or right. I sighed thinking that this is going to be a long ride home.
Karma sucks sometimes.
Friday, July 25, 2008
geekgasm: national museum of natural history
I grew up wanting a Stegosaurus as a pet so just imagine how overly delighted I was when I stepped inside the National Museum of Natural History in Washington D.C.. I must have died and went to heaven. To think that I'm already amazed at our own museums, then it is suffice to say that what the US has to offer is beyond amazing. I was like a wide-eyed, 5 foot 9 kid staring at the gargantuan elephant displayed in the rotunda. And it took all of my will power to keep myself from drooling. I've never been this excited since Daine and I had PeX (that's the Palawan EXperience, perv).
The museum had a lot of visitors that time, mostly of the annoying, underage kind. My companion, who invited himself to my weekend in Washington, decided to sit this one as he was still sleepy. He told me to take my time. Of course I'd take my sweet time, we're in a museum!
So I left him and started my way towards the Hall of the Dinosaurs where the Earth's pre-history is told via the numerous diorama and replicas of the early fauna and flaura that abound the world. The exhibits tell a lot of facts about their existence and theories about their subsequent extinction or sudden disappearance. Life-size fossils of the great Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus, Triceratops and that of an adult Littlefoot (I'm not quite sure if it was a Diplodocus or a Brachiosaurus, or Apatosaurus) are displayed at the center isle.
After getting fed up with bones (there are a lot of them, it after all), I went to the Hall of the Mammals which is pretty much like a blown up version of the center portion of Toy Kingdom in SM Megamall. Either they were encased in glass shelves, or depicted as if they were in their natural habitat, the museum's stuffed animals are just so adorable that I ended up taking pictures of every one of them. That day alone, I had about five hundred shots and only five had my face or some other body part on it.
It was about four in the afternoon when I decided to check up on that guy I'm with. He was standing by the concierge looking all irate probably because a) it took me approximately four hours to tour the first floor of the museum (there's another floor or so), and b) it is raining like hell and he didn't bring a jacket nor an umbrella. Laugh trip. Sadly though, the museum is selling raincoats. Bright side, it was unreasonably priced.
"Uwi na tayo. Umuulan na at baka hindi natin maabutan yung bus," he suggested as he opened the raincoat he just bought. But as we stepped out of the museum doors, the rain stopped as well. So I took off my hood and whispered loudly, "Yay! It stopped raining!
Aboard the Metro.
I was busy taking pictures of myself when I realized that I wasn't able to check up on the uninvited. So I asked with a tone of concern in my voice, "You did have fun, right?"
Click. "Don't worry, next time we'll visit clubs," I added.
As if.
The museum had a lot of visitors that time, mostly of the annoying, underage kind. My companion, who invited himself to my weekend in Washington, decided to sit this one as he was still sleepy. He told me to take my time. Of course I'd take my sweet time, we're in a museum!So I left him and started my way towards the Hall of the Dinosaurs where the Earth's pre-history is told via the numerous diorama and replicas of the early fauna and flaura that abound the world. The exhibits tell a lot of facts about their existence and theories about their subsequent extinction or sudden disappearance. Life-size fossils of the great Tyrannosaurus Rex, Stegosaurus, Triceratops and that of an adult Littlefoot (I'm not quite sure if it was a Diplodocus or a Brachiosaurus, or Apatosaurus) are displayed at the center isle.
After getting fed up with bones (there are a lot of them, it after all), I went to the Hall of the Mammals which is pretty much like a blown up version of the center portion of Toy Kingdom in SM Megamall. Either they were encased in glass shelves, or depicted as if they were in their natural habitat, the museum's stuffed animals are just so adorable that I ended up taking pictures of every one of them. That day alone, I had about five hundred shots and only five had my face or some other body part on it.
It was about four in the afternoon when I decided to check up on that guy I'm with. He was standing by the concierge looking all irate probably because a) it took me approximately four hours to tour the first floor of the museum (there's another floor or so), and b) it is raining like hell and he didn't bring a jacket nor an umbrella. Laugh trip. Sadly though, the museum is selling raincoats. Bright side, it was unreasonably priced.
"Uwi na tayo. Umuulan na at baka hindi natin maabutan yung bus," he suggested as he opened the raincoat he just bought. But as we stepped out of the museum doors, the rain stopped as well. So I took off my hood and whispered loudly, "Yay! It stopped raining!
Aboard the Metro.
I was busy taking pictures of myself when I realized that I wasn't able to check up on the uninvited. So I asked with a tone of concern in my voice, "You did have fun, right?"
Click. "Don't worry, next time we'll visit clubs," I added.
As if.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
stargazer (prelude)
Some of the best things in life are experienced in silence. Like the serenity of the night with nothing else but the moon and stars, or the peacefulness of looking at a loved one sleep. Sometimes, we fail to appreciate the beauty of stillness, that we try to fill it with words. We become so restless and impatient that we grow weary of the things that matter. So appreciate silence for all that it is. For words are too mundane to fill the void.
- Stargazer, j.Lib
- Stargazer, j.Lib
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
dalawandaan
Matagal na din akong nagba-blog. Kung tutuusin, mga tatlong taon na din. Naaalala ko pa yung "Shatterstar". Yun yung una kong blog sa Friendster, na ang kausap ko lang palagi ay yung dati naming EIC sa school paper. Saglit lang nabuhay yung blog ko doon dahil nahihirapan ako sa pag-eedit. Milyong taon bago maayos ang format ng isang post. At wala akong tiyaga sa ganoon. LOL.
Tapos lumipat ako sa Blogger, "One More Shot" kasi sabi ko binibigyan ko yung sarili ko ng isa pang pagkakataon para makapagsulat ng maayos. Yun din yung mga araw na nami-miss ko ang pagsusulat. Sa linya kasi ng trabaho ko, nakaka-drain ng creative juices kaya kailangan ko ng outlet para mahasa ulit ang aking talento. LOL.
Ang alam ko meron pa akong isang blog na kasabay na ginawa ng "One More Shot" pero nakalimutan ko na ata yung pangalan. Sikreto kasing blog yun. LOL.
Pero dahil sa lumipat ako ng trabaho at naka-block yung Blogger sa bago kong opisina, napilitan akong lumipat sa Wordpress. Wala akong maisip na pangalan ng blog ko, eh nagkataon na ang pinapatugtog sa iTunes eh yung kanta ni Kelly Clarkson na "Can I Have A Kiss?" kaya ayun. Astig naman. LOL.
Medyo matagal din yung buhay ng blog kong yun. Pero tinamad na ako i-update noong bandang huli kasi parang wala naman akong na-aachieve sa ginagawa ko. Kaya napag-isipan kong tumigil muna sa pagsusulat. Kunwari lang. LOL. Sa totoo ay naging busy ako sa buhay-buhay. Sabi ko nga dati sa isang kaibigan, personally, napapabayaan ko ang blog life kapag nagiging maganda ang social life ko. Wink, wink. LOL.
Pero noong Disyembre ng nakaraang taon, nagkaroon ako ng personal problems at naisipan kong muling mag-blog para lamang maging labasan ng sama ng loob ko. Sabi ko this time, magiging mas totoo ako at open sa mga isusulat ko. Pero sa totoo lang, meron talagang mga bagay na kahit gaano mo kagustong isulat, hindi talaga puwede. Hindi lang dahil sa takot na ikaw ay ma-judge, pero para na rin maka-iwas sa gulo, o maka-iwas na makasakit ng damdamin ng ibang tao.
Ganun pa man, ang OMBD ay naging higit pa sa online diary ko. Sa araw-araw na pagbisita ko dito, naging parte na ng buhay ko na mag-isip ng maisusulat para sa aking kasiyahan. At sa paraang ito, nahasa ng mabuti ang aking kakayahan sa pagsulat. Maliban sa Filipino, dahil nahihirapan pa rin akong magsulat sa lokal na language. (Kaya naman kaso maarte lang talaga ako. LOL.)
Ngunit sa totoo lang, hindi ko inaakala na mabubuhay ang OMBD ng ganito katagal. Halos pitong buwan na din tumatakbo ang aking blog, at ngayon ay nakaka-dalawandaan na akong posts. Ang kinakatakot ko dati ay baka isa lamang akong ningas-kugon, sa simula lang masipag. Pero napatunayan ko sa sarili ko na kaya pala, basta pursigido. At parte na rin yun na may nagbabasa din kasi ng mga katha ko. Bonus yun - nakakatuwang isipin na merong nakaka-appreciate at nakaka-relate sa mga sinusulat ko (salamat! ^^,). At ang isa pang bonus ay marami akong nakakasalamuhang tao. It just proves na kahit gaano tayo ka-different, meron pa rin tayong connection at the most basic level.
Or charming lang talaga ako. LOL. Dyuk! Ehehehe.
*******
POSTSCRIPT. Pasensya na at ganito ang aking post. Mas komportable talaga ako magsulat sa Ingles. Arte! LOL.
At saka gabi na po. ^^, Excuses. LOL.
Tapos lumipat ako sa Blogger, "One More Shot" kasi sabi ko binibigyan ko yung sarili ko ng isa pang pagkakataon para makapagsulat ng maayos. Yun din yung mga araw na nami-miss ko ang pagsusulat. Sa linya kasi ng trabaho ko, nakaka-drain ng creative juices kaya kailangan ko ng outlet para mahasa ulit ang aking talento. LOL.
Ang alam ko meron pa akong isang blog na kasabay na ginawa ng "One More Shot" pero nakalimutan ko na ata yung pangalan. Sikreto kasing blog yun. LOL.
Pero dahil sa lumipat ako ng trabaho at naka-block yung Blogger sa bago kong opisina, napilitan akong lumipat sa Wordpress. Wala akong maisip na pangalan ng blog ko, eh nagkataon na ang pinapatugtog sa iTunes eh yung kanta ni Kelly Clarkson na "Can I Have A Kiss?" kaya ayun. Astig naman. LOL.
Medyo matagal din yung buhay ng blog kong yun. Pero tinamad na ako i-update noong bandang huli kasi parang wala naman akong na-aachieve sa ginagawa ko. Kaya napag-isipan kong tumigil muna sa pagsusulat. Kunwari lang. LOL. Sa totoo ay naging busy ako sa buhay-buhay. Sabi ko nga dati sa isang kaibigan, personally, napapabayaan ko ang blog life kapag nagiging maganda ang social life ko. Wink, wink. LOL.
Pero noong Disyembre ng nakaraang taon, nagkaroon ako ng personal problems at naisipan kong muling mag-blog para lamang maging labasan ng sama ng loob ko. Sabi ko this time, magiging mas totoo ako at open sa mga isusulat ko. Pero sa totoo lang, meron talagang mga bagay na kahit gaano mo kagustong isulat, hindi talaga puwede. Hindi lang dahil sa takot na ikaw ay ma-judge, pero para na rin maka-iwas sa gulo, o maka-iwas na makasakit ng damdamin ng ibang tao.
Ganun pa man, ang OMBD ay naging higit pa sa online diary ko. Sa araw-araw na pagbisita ko dito, naging parte na ng buhay ko na mag-isip ng maisusulat para sa aking kasiyahan. At sa paraang ito, nahasa ng mabuti ang aking kakayahan sa pagsulat. Maliban sa Filipino, dahil nahihirapan pa rin akong magsulat sa lokal na language. (Kaya naman kaso maarte lang talaga ako. LOL.)
Ngunit sa totoo lang, hindi ko inaakala na mabubuhay ang OMBD ng ganito katagal. Halos pitong buwan na din tumatakbo ang aking blog, at ngayon ay nakaka-dalawandaan na akong posts. Ang kinakatakot ko dati ay baka isa lamang akong ningas-kugon, sa simula lang masipag. Pero napatunayan ko sa sarili ko na kaya pala, basta pursigido. At parte na rin yun na may nagbabasa din kasi ng mga katha ko. Bonus yun - nakakatuwang isipin na merong nakaka-appreciate at nakaka-relate sa mga sinusulat ko (salamat! ^^,). At ang isa pang bonus ay marami akong nakakasalamuhang tao. It just proves na kahit gaano tayo ka-different, meron pa rin tayong connection at the most basic level.
Or charming lang talaga ako. LOL. Dyuk! Ehehehe.
*******
POSTSCRIPT. Pasensya na at ganito ang aking post. Mas komportable talaga ako magsulat sa Ingles. Arte! LOL.
At saka gabi na po. ^^, Excuses. LOL.
Monday, July 21, 2008
why so serious?
THE DARK KNIGHTChristian Bale, Michael Caine, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman
Warner Bros.
Rating: A+
Why so serious?
I'm really not keen on doing movie reviews because by the time that I finish drafting one, the film would have already been released on DVD. So, let's not call this a movie review. This is just me raving how awesomely cool the Dark Knight is. This is huge considering that I'm a non-fan of the Caped Crusader. Or whatever it is that he calls himself nowadays.
Christian Bale is, well, Christian Bale. Gorgeous as always. But his voice when he dons his mask - he sounds like he has a sore throat. It's not terrible but it made me wonder if Batman did speak like that.
As for Heath, goodness, my fear just had a new face. Move over Captain Howdy. I'm now officially scared, no more like terrified, of The Joker. As I've said, I'm not the biggest fan of Batman since he is more likely to fight street thugs and armed robbers with his Batarang or any other weapon that he could fish out of his costume's numerous secret pockets. I'm pretty sure he's hiding a bazooka somewhere on it. It's just so real as compared to my X-Men. Why bother with guns and knives when you can just instantly turn anyone into cinders with but a glance?
But the Joker is different. He is terrifying than any vampire Buffy has faced or demons that the Charmed Ones has vanquished. He is a smart, cunning, manipulative SOB who kills people just for fun. People might see him as a madman but his words hold a pinch of truth - when the chips are down, civilized people will eat each other. I'm not a cynic but it's the reality. What happened in the movie, when the Joker gives the passengers on board two separate ferries the chance to destroy the opposing ship (the classic civilians versus convicts scenario) in order to save their own lives, and neither end chooses to detonate the bomb - that's not reality. That's drama. That's the "aw" moment that the audience expects for their PHP160.
The chances of a happy ending, should the same circumstance occur in the real world, is very slim considering how self-preservation is of paramount concern to everyone these days. And that idealism is what feeds the sick mind of the Joker. He doesn't have to have the powers of magnetism, or brute strength to be scary. His character is real enough. It's so real that anyone can actually take it for his own. It's not impossible that somewhere in this world, someone is treading that same dark road, scheming, and waiting for the right moment to spread anarchy and discord, in this already-chaotic world.
Unfortunately though, Bill Gates is no Bruce Wayne, as Oprah is no Ororo Munroe.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
this is my new york: i wouldn't wanna be ya
"If you two weren't an hour late then we could have had those tickets to get inside the Liberty Statue. And more importantly, we'd still have enough time to roam around Manhattan," I snarked as we boarded the ferry boat headed back to the mainland.
The trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island lasted for more than an hour. I wasn't really checking on the clock but it felt that long. The former is jam packed with tourists, pigeons and more tourists. The massive crowd made it really hard for us three to take nice pictures of the landmark. It's hard to make a good pose when you're thinking that the final image will have a stranger's body part or two sticking out from either edges. And call me weird but I find it hard to hand over the camera to anyone but myself. I refuse to delegate the task of immortalizing my memory to people who treat cameras as a "point-and-shoot" device. It is so much more than that.
Anyway, after a few shots we headed out to the souvenir shops and bought a few, overpriced, key chains and a pretty snow globe. My New York trip was actually a quest to find me a snow globe that snows "snow" and not glitter. Luckily, I found one for twenty bucks. And if I'm not mistaken I spent another ten dollars or so for two bottled water. One wasn't enough to quench my thirst. It was that hot. I thought the same would apply to Ellis Island. Good thing that we were directed to a museum. An air-conditioned one for that matter. Didn't do much in there except use their washroom to freshen up. Museums do not bore me but what the hell would I do with statistics, maps and charts. I already have enough of those in Excel.
"Eh kasi naman hindi ako makakilos. Bawal buksan yung ilaw kanina dahil natutulog pa yung TL namin. Bawal din mag-ingay. Yung konteng galaw naririnig niya. Kamusta naman yun," Josie said pouting, as she poses for another shot with the Statue as her background.
"That lady is really giving you a hard time. Sabi ko na nga ba, hitsura pa lang, kontrabida na talaga," I said confirming my impression on their team leader. "Kala mo naman kagandahan. Sobrang bastos kaya niya."
Mickey laughed. "Yun ba first impression mo sa kanya?"
"Oo. Sabihin mo sa kanya halatang ni-relax lang yung buhok niya. Nagpapaka-sosyal na lang siya hindi pa niya ayusin. At hindi bagay sa kanya yung suot niya nung huling araw niyo doon sa Maryland. Lalong lumalaki yung legs niya."
I'm really not that rude but that lady, let's call her j.Hoe, is really unnerving. She's so bad that she's totally redefining the word bitch. Take for instance during breakfast back at the hotel, she'll gladly take a separate table instead of joining us in ours. In their two-week stay at Gaithersburg, she never uttered a single syllable to acknowledge us, fellow Filipinos, when her colleagues are already rubbing elbows, among other exposed body parts, with us. But it's alright. I mean I'm a stranger. We both couldn't care less if either of us gets mugged, killed or raped here. Not that anyone would want to rape her. But to treat her officemates as trash. Now that's harsh. She's just a freaking team lead for Christ's sake. And that role ends as the clock strikes 5 PM. Josie and Mickey couldn't do anything but follow her around like sick puppies. We're in America! We're supposed to have fun! But they're not because they're miserable. They don't need to tell me anything for me to notice. I'm an empath. I feel what others feel. And my chat with Mickey the night before our New York trip confirmed all my hunches.
He said that their j.Hoe won't be joining them in going around the city because she's wants to rest. Apparently, she has visited New York before. Funny, but if I were in her shoes I would have volunteered to accompany them in a heartbeat. I sort of know the place, they're sort of my responsibility, it would be fun to bond with them. I don't know. It makes perfect sense right? But then again, she's the villain in the story so she wouldn't know what is right. No, even at the end, she won't get to reform. She can only look forward to being dead.
"So where to after this," Mickey asked as he pulled out the map from his bag.
"Manhattan? But we have to hurry though. Your beloved TL will be waiting for you at the Rockefeller Center at 5 PM. And we only have four hours to explore the city."
"Oo nga eh," Josie said as she took one last shot at the island. "Para san nga pala yung Statue of Liberty?"
"It's sort of the welcome sign for immigrants or travelers to the Americas in the old days. So metaphorically, it represents liberty from oppression. A concept which I'm pretty sure you two are familiar with."
The trip to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island lasted for more than an hour. I wasn't really checking on the clock but it felt that long. The former is jam packed with tourists, pigeons and more tourists. The massive crowd made it really hard for us three to take nice pictures of the landmark. It's hard to make a good pose when you're thinking that the final image will have a stranger's body part or two sticking out from either edges. And call me weird but I find it hard to hand over the camera to anyone but myself. I refuse to delegate the task of immortalizing my memory to people who treat cameras as a "point-and-shoot" device. It is so much more than that.
Anyway, after a few shots we headed out to the souvenir shops and bought a few, overpriced, key chains and a pretty snow globe. My New York trip was actually a quest to find me a snow globe that snows "snow" and not glitter. Luckily, I found one for twenty bucks. And if I'm not mistaken I spent another ten dollars or so for two bottled water. One wasn't enough to quench my thirst. It was that hot. I thought the same would apply to Ellis Island. Good thing that we were directed to a museum. An air-conditioned one for that matter. Didn't do much in there except use their washroom to freshen up. Museums do not bore me but what the hell would I do with statistics, maps and charts. I already have enough of those in Excel.
"Eh kasi naman hindi ako makakilos. Bawal buksan yung ilaw kanina dahil natutulog pa yung TL namin. Bawal din mag-ingay. Yung konteng galaw naririnig niya. Kamusta naman yun," Josie said pouting, as she poses for another shot with the Statue as her background.
"That lady is really giving you a hard time. Sabi ko na nga ba, hitsura pa lang, kontrabida na talaga," I said confirming my impression on their team leader. "Kala mo naman kagandahan. Sobrang bastos kaya niya."
Mickey laughed. "Yun ba first impression mo sa kanya?"
"Oo. Sabihin mo sa kanya halatang ni-relax lang yung buhok niya. Nagpapaka-sosyal na lang siya hindi pa niya ayusin. At hindi bagay sa kanya yung suot niya nung huling araw niyo doon sa Maryland. Lalong lumalaki yung legs niya."
I'm really not that rude but that lady, let's call her j.Hoe, is really unnerving. She's so bad that she's totally redefining the word bitch. Take for instance during breakfast back at the hotel, she'll gladly take a separate table instead of joining us in ours. In their two-week stay at Gaithersburg, she never uttered a single syllable to acknowledge us, fellow Filipinos, when her colleagues are already rubbing elbows, among other exposed body parts, with us. But it's alright. I mean I'm a stranger. We both couldn't care less if either of us gets mugged, killed or raped here. Not that anyone would want to rape her. But to treat her officemates as trash. Now that's harsh. She's just a freaking team lead for Christ's sake. And that role ends as the clock strikes 5 PM. Josie and Mickey couldn't do anything but follow her around like sick puppies. We're in America! We're supposed to have fun! But they're not because they're miserable. They don't need to tell me anything for me to notice. I'm an empath. I feel what others feel. And my chat with Mickey the night before our New York trip confirmed all my hunches.
He said that their j.Hoe won't be joining them in going around the city because she's wants to rest. Apparently, she has visited New York before. Funny, but if I were in her shoes I would have volunteered to accompany them in a heartbeat. I sort of know the place, they're sort of my responsibility, it would be fun to bond with them. I don't know. It makes perfect sense right? But then again, she's the villain in the story so she wouldn't know what is right. No, even at the end, she won't get to reform. She can only look forward to being dead.
"So where to after this," Mickey asked as he pulled out the map from his bag.
"Manhattan? But we have to hurry though. Your beloved TL will be waiting for you at the Rockefeller Center at 5 PM. And we only have four hours to explore the city."
"Oo nga eh," Josie said as she took one last shot at the island. "Para san nga pala yung Statue of Liberty?"
"It's sort of the welcome sign for immigrants or travelers to the Americas in the old days. So metaphorically, it represents liberty from oppression. A concept which I'm pretty sure you two are familiar with."
Saturday, July 19, 2008
confessions of a z-list wannabe
I have been TV-free for the past year and a half, save for my time in the States when I had the flat screen on, even if I had my back on it, just so I can say that I've maximized my stay in the two hundred dollar suite. Heck, it was summer and I had the fireplace all lit up. There are nights when I like to pretend that I'm roasting marshmallows while singing Kumbaya just to annoy Manolito. God, I'm bad.
Anyway, I only flipped between two stations when I was there - CNN for the news and MTV for the nostalgia. I am a 90s kid so I was there when MTV was cool. I used to spend my days watching one music video after another. And for some weird reason, I never got tired of seeing Mariah before she had D cups, Ricky Martin when he was still banging, and the Backstreet Boys when they were still boys. I was expecting to see lots of current music videos on MTV USA so I was surprised to learn that their program line up is now 90% reality shows and 10% music videos. Perhaps, this is a strategic move for the network considering that they are, somewhat, a beacon of pop culture. Reality shows broke ground in the dawn of this decade, and eight years after it's definitely not showing any signs of waning. If not, it actually seems that this trend will continue to boom for the couple of years to come.
Reality TV shows sell because it's supposed to present life and all its aspects in its rawest form. The audience get to see how people interact with one another, or how they handle a given circumstance minus the scripted drama. There is a certain authenticity, albeit not completely, in these genre that the regular scripted programs can never ever achieve.
I have to say though that I am not the biggest fan of reality shows. In fact, I am skeptical as to how real, reality shows are. Allegations of some programs to be fake and somewhat controlled abound. Nevertheless, I can't take away the fact that this genre has proven to be an effective vehicle that shows how a normal person's life is ten times more interesting than anything else on TV.
Then again, Sam Milby is anything but normal.
So until my life story gets syndicated by a network, I'm sticking with Will & Grace.
Anyway, I only flipped between two stations when I was there - CNN for the news and MTV for the nostalgia. I am a 90s kid so I was there when MTV was cool. I used to spend my days watching one music video after another. And for some weird reason, I never got tired of seeing Mariah before she had D cups, Ricky Martin when he was still banging, and the Backstreet Boys when they were still boys. I was expecting to see lots of current music videos on MTV USA so I was surprised to learn that their program line up is now 90% reality shows and 10% music videos. Perhaps, this is a strategic move for the network considering that they are, somewhat, a beacon of pop culture. Reality shows broke ground in the dawn of this decade, and eight years after it's definitely not showing any signs of waning. If not, it actually seems that this trend will continue to boom for the couple of years to come.
Reality TV shows sell because it's supposed to present life and all its aspects in its rawest form. The audience get to see how people interact with one another, or how they handle a given circumstance minus the scripted drama. There is a certain authenticity, albeit not completely, in these genre that the regular scripted programs can never ever achieve.
I have to say though that I am not the biggest fan of reality shows. In fact, I am skeptical as to how real, reality shows are. Allegations of some programs to be fake and somewhat controlled abound. Nevertheless, I can't take away the fact that this genre has proven to be an effective vehicle that shows how a normal person's life is ten times more interesting than anything else on TV.
Then again, Sam Milby is anything but normal.
So until my life story gets syndicated by a network, I'm sticking with Will & Grace.
Friday, July 18, 2008
boy on the verge
There's nothing that you could ever say to make me let go.- Blair Waldorf, Gossip Girl
This kept me up all night.
I keep on telling myself that given the proper circumstances, and good lighting, I'll most probably end up saying that line to a friend. And even if I haven't heard it in Gossip Girls, I would have still come up with a similarly-toned statement should I be caught in the same predicament. I have the drama and cheesiness built-in. It's a curse really but knowing how to smooth-talk can take one places.
I'm blabbering, trying to fill this entry with do-away statements, when all I really want to say is that I know, inside I'm hoping that somebody can say those exact words to me. And really mean it. Someday.
And then I'd go, "Aw...".
That would be really sweet, yes?
Thursday, July 17, 2008
kras
MakMak: Kuya, hehe, katabi ko si *** ko sa assembly. Hehe. :p OMG.Tuwing makikita mo siya parang tumitigil ang mundo, lumalakas ang pintig ng iyong puso, ika'y naiiwang tulala, suot ang ngiti na abot hanggang tenga, nagba-blush, at dahil sa kung anuman (siguro dahil sa init) kulang na lang ay matunaw ka. Yun bang parang hiskul ka ulit, at normal pa yung kiligin ka ng todo-todo.
Kuya: Kampay! LOL. Sige na kausapin mo. LOL. :-)
MakMak: Ahaha, kampay ba? Hindi, wag na. Nahihiya ako. Wahaha. Highschool na Highschool (Musical) feeling ko. LOL.
Kuya: Hehe. Hay naiinggit ako sa'yo.
MakMak: O bakit po? Me isa pa dito. LOL. Ang landi ko.
Kuya: Hahaha. Wag pahalata. LOL.
MakMak: LOL. Hindi ko pwedeng tingnan. Matutunaw ako kuya. Hay. LOL.
Kuya: Hehehe. Kayanin mo. LOL. Natutuwa ako sa'yo.
MakMak: :p Parang ayaw ko na mag-resign.
Kuya: Ahahaha. Remember ang pangarap more than anything else. Hehe.
MakMak: Kuya pangarap ko din naman magka-pamilya. Ahahaha. Joke.
Kuya: Ahahaha. LOL. Nahihilo ako sa'yo. Picture-an mo naman. LOL.
MakMak: Hindi pwede kuya, mahahalata ako saka tumitingin din sa lugar namin eh. (Haba ng hair) LOL.
Kuya: Aw. Hehe. Iwagayway ang hair. :-D
MakMak: Lalagnatin ata ako... :-(
Kuya: Ha? Dahil it's so hot there... Hehe.
MakMak: Opo... :p I can't believe I'm saying these things. LOL.
Kuya: Hahahaha. OMG!
MakMak: OMG talaga. LOL. Masyado siyang pretty. Lol. Pero hindi, loyal ako kay **** ko. Hehe.
Kuya: Hahaha. Eh Paano kung lapitan ka diyan ngayon at kausapin? Matutunaw ka kaya?
MakMak: Naku opo. Haha. Nangyari na yun nung nasa US ako. Haha. Yung cashier sa Skecher's sobrang cute. Lol. Naka-stare lang ako. (Kaya nabentahan tuloy ako ng water repellent spray na hindi ko naman kailangan.)
Kuya: Waaa. I can't imagine your reaction if that happens now.
Nagkaroon ka na ba ng kras? ;-)
*******
POSTSCRIPT. Hindi ako lubos makapaniwala na nasabi ko ang lahat ng yun. Ang landi ko! LOL.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
rsvp
The idea of having a dinner for a Despedida is getting really old and boring so I told KC that if she was going then it would be better if she'd leave with a "Bang!".
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking," she asked.
"Unless you're thinking of Zac, I don't think so." I said as I took a sip off my chocolate milkshake. We're at NSG Greenbelt and it's a Friday night. She ordered for a light drink, I got me some milkshake. Loser.
"Let's do it in a bar." KC said sounding ecstatic.
"Eew?"
"No, remember the Kiss On The Lips party?"
"So you want us to plan a big party? Bar, Beer and all?"
"Yeah, let's think of a theme. Like Mariah's new album."
"You want the attendees wearing feather boas, and only feather boas?"
"Patawa ka naman Mak. I mean black and white."
"Yeah, what you said. We can do that. It'll be cool. We'll rent a bar for the night, invite a couple of people, say 40? You might want to invite your DJ friend as well so we can have some good music."
"Yeah. So what do you think should we call it? What about instead of black and white, let's try blue, orange and white?"
"Let me work on that. We'll have a grand time celebrating your, uhm, whatever it is that you've mentioned in your press release. They think you're going to your folks in Guam right?" I said as I finished listing the things-to-do on my iPod.
"Oh, and we should have a guest list and all," I added.
The idea of KC and I throwing the best party this side of Makati on Friday is so Waldorf and Van Der Hoodsen'ish. And guess who gets to be Blair.
Tsk. We've seen way too much Gossip Girl episodes.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking," she asked.
"Unless you're thinking of Zac, I don't think so." I said as I took a sip off my chocolate milkshake. We're at NSG Greenbelt and it's a Friday night. She ordered for a light drink, I got me some milkshake. Loser.
"Let's do it in a bar." KC said sounding ecstatic.
"Eew?"
"No, remember the Kiss On The Lips party?"
"So you want us to plan a big party? Bar, Beer and all?"
"Yeah, let's think of a theme. Like Mariah's new album."
"You want the attendees wearing feather boas, and only feather boas?"
"Patawa ka naman Mak. I mean black and white."
"Yeah, what you said. We can do that. It'll be cool. We'll rent a bar for the night, invite a couple of people, say 40? You might want to invite your DJ friend as well so we can have some good music."
"Yeah. So what do you think should we call it? What about instead of black and white, let's try blue, orange and white?"
"Let me work on that. We'll have a grand time celebrating your, uhm, whatever it is that you've mentioned in your press release. They think you're going to your folks in Guam right?" I said as I finished listing the things-to-do on my iPod.
"Oh, and we should have a guest list and all," I added.
The idea of KC and I throwing the best party this side of Makati on Friday is so Waldorf and Van Der Hoodsen'ish. And guess who gets to be Blair.
Tsk. We've seen way too much Gossip Girl episodes.
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